NSW coach Laurie Daley has been waiting nine months for this day.
After all the talking, discussions over selections, and how to break Queensland’s seven-year State of Origin stranglehold Daley knows it’s now all down to his players.
Daley insists his laid-back nature should not be confused for a lack of attention to detail and his side will be ready to go come 8pm at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday.
“It’s very different as a coach,” he said.
“As a player you’ve obviously got yourself to take care of.
“You put your trust and faith in the coaching staff and now that’s what I’m hoping the players will do for me.
Daley admitted he was doing his best to keep a lid on his emotions to the point where he looked almost too relaxed.
“I’m excited but like the players I have to stay calm. The calmer I am, the better it is for the team.”
Daley said he knows his side face a huge test toppling one of the greatest sides in rugby league history, but is confident his team is good enough to prevail.
“They’ve been a great side no doubt about that and that’s the challenge we face,” he said.
“They’ve got five or six of the game’s greatest players but all we can do is be ready.
“Our preparations suggest we’ll be ready and it will come down to 80 minutes and we’ll see what we’ve got.”